The 2024 NFL Draft is underway and the first 15 picks are officially off the board. The first half of selections was dominated by offensive players starting with three quarterbacks. The first defensive player wasn’t selected until pick 15, but the most surprising choice made came from Atlanta when they drafted a quarterback with the eighth overall pick.
2024 NFL Draft Grades: Picks 1-15
1. Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB,
Grade: A
The Chicago Bears get their quarterback of the future in Caleb Williams as expected. He is the highest-ranked quarterback in a 2024 class full of talent at the position. The 2022 Heisman trophy winner will be heading into an offense that has D.J Moore, Keenan Allen, Cole Kmet, and rookie Rome Odunze as current weapons. This pick was made weeks ago. General Manager Ryan Poles and the Bears front office just chose to hide it from the media. It gets no less than an A grade.
2. Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB,
Grade: A
The Washington Commanders follow suit and grab Jayden Daniels with the 2nd overall pick. Like Williams, Daniels excels at extending drives with his legs. He will have a young receiver core to develop with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. Despite the reports of tension during a meeting throughout the draft process, that did not stop Washington from grabbing Daniels for the future.
3. New England Patriots, Drake Maye, QB,
Grade: B-
With the third overall pick, the New England Patriots selected Drake Maye out of North Carolina. While Maye will likely sit behind Jacoby Brissett for a bit, the Patriots’ current wide receiver core is currently Demario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Kendrick Bourne.
Drafting Marvin Harrison Jr would have eliminated that need, but Maye has the prototypical build that NFL franchises like to go after. His arm talent and accuracy can eliminate some of the early mistakes rookie quarterbacks make. The Patriots get a B- grade.
4. Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr, WR
Grade: A+
The Arizona Cardinals were reported to consider trading back in this year’s draft, but they have stayed put and drafted the highest-ranked prospect in this year’s draft in Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison is one of the biggest receivers in the 2024 class, but has the skillset to run almost any route. He is a generational talent at the position and fills a position of need after losing Marquise Brown to free agency. Harrison sliding to 4 gets an A+ grade.
5. Los Angeles Chargers: Joe Alt, OT
Grade: B+
The Los Angeles Chargers beefed up their offensive line and drafted Joe Alt with the fifth overall pick. It seems that the Chargers will commit to running the ball more with the addition of Head Coach Jim Harbaugh. The Michigan Wolverines leaned on the run during their national championship run last season.
With electing to go offensive line heavy, they forego drafting one of the best receivers in this year’s draft in Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze, who would have likely been Justin Herbert’s go-to target for the future. Alt landing at 5 to Los Angeles gets a B+ grade.
6. New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR
Grade: A-
The New York Giants get a position of need and grab a weapon for Daniel Jones in Malik Nabers. While some insiders felt Odunze was the better fit, Nabers has the most yards in LSU history and the program breeds NFL talent at the receiver position. He will join a young core of pass catchers in Wandale Robinson, Darius Slayton, and Isaiah Hodgins.
7. Tennessee Titans, JC Latham, OL
Grade: A-
Following suit in positions of need, the Tennessee Titans grab offensive lineman JC Latham with the 7th pick in this year’s draft. The Titans’ offensive front was well below average in 2023 and Latham will give Will Levis some extra protection next season. While Joe Alt was the likely selection for Tennessee, Latham is the next best option and can be plugged in right away.
8. Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr, QB
Grade: C-
In a shocking selection, the Atlanta Falcons have gone quarterback with the eighth overall pick in Michael Penix Jr. This off-season, the Falcons signed free agent veteran Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal worth $180 million. So, this decision to draft Penix at number 8 has some question marks behind it.
Penix led Washington to the national championship game this college football season and boosted his draft stock through his performances. He has an injury history behind him, but his arm talent and decision-making skills give him a chance to develop at the next level. The question is, how long will he sit behind Cousins and learn before getting a real shot?
9. Chicago Bears: Rome Odunze, WR
Grade: B+
With their second selection in the 2024 draft, Chicago has given Caleb Williams a weapon on the outside in Rome Odunze. The Bears could have traded back for more assets or gone to the defensive side of the ball with this pick, but Odunze is a talent that couldn’t slip any farther down the board for General Manager Ryan Poles.
Odunze caught 92 passes for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns during Washington’s national championship run last season and has the athleticism to thrive at the next level. The Bears traded for Keenan Allen this off-season, but his career is coming to a close as a 31-year-old veteran. Drafting Odunze gives Williams a rookie to develop chemistry with for at least 4 seasons.
10. Minnesota Vikings (via NYJ): J.J McCarthy, QB
Grade: B
The Minnesota Vikings make the first trade in this year’s draft by moving up and drafting their quarterback of the future in J.J McCarthy. He will either enter a quarterback battle with Sam Darnold, who the Vikings signed for one year this off-season, or sit behind him and learn.
While McCarthy led Michigan to their first national championship in the modern era this past college football season, the Wolverines offense is dominated by the run game. He does not have as much tape as other prospects in the 2024 class, but his leadership qualities and winning mentality can bring value to the Vikings quarterback room.
11. New York Jets (via MIN): Olumuyiwa Fashanu, OL
Grade: A
After trading back one spot, the New York Jets still get their preferred selection in Olumuyiwa Fashanu out of Penn State with the 11th pick. Fashanu will likely not start right away in New York, but he will have the opportunity to learn from two veterans in Morgan Moses and newest addition Tyron Smith, who the Jets signed to a one-year deal this off-season. Fashanu could develop into one of the best linemen in this draft based on raw talent.
12. Denver Broncos: Bo Nix, QB
Grade: B-
With the 12th pick, the Denver Broncos grabbed a quarterback in Bo Nix out of Oregon. The Broncos just traded for former number two overall pick Zach Wilson this week and will likely go into a quarterback battle with Nix during training camp. While this was a position of need for Denver, Nix likely would have been available later in the draft, and trading down a few spots could have been a solution. For slightly reaching, the pick gets a B-.
13. Las Vegas Raiders: Brock Bowers, TE
Grade: A-
The Las Vegas Raiders took the best available weapon on offense in tight end Brock Bowers with the 13th pick. Bowers was a dominant force throughout his college career at Georgia winning multiple national championships as the team’s primary target. With the top six quarterbacks off the board early, grabbing Bowers to pair with Davante Adams for the next couple of seasons will make for a scary duo.
14. New Orleans Saints: Taliese Fuaga: OL
Grade: B
The New Orleans Saints were another team that decided to beef up their offensive line with their first-round pick by selecting Taliese Fuaga. Fuaga is versatile and can play multiple positions up front. The Saints were reportedly open to trading back for assets, but deals likely fell through, and grabbing another position of need was the safest option.
15. Indianapolis Colts: Laiatu Latu, EDGE
Grade: C+
With the 15th pick, the Indianapolis Colts added edge rusher Laiatu Latu out of UCLA. Latu sat out for two seasons during his college career due to a neck injury and was told to retire by doctors, but has battled back and now becomes the first defensive player off the board. While the injury history does bring concerns with him, Indianapolis filled a position of need and Latu brings upside as a pass rusher.
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